The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) arrested 58,365 drug suspects and 34 money-laundering suspects in 2017, with 79 suspects being shot and killed by the authorities during drug raids.

“Actually we had enough ammunition to shot all of those 58,000 suspects,” BNN chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said in a press conference on Wednesday.

He said the arrests were proof of the seriousness of law enforcers in handling drug-related crimes. The agency’s shoot-to-kill policy was not just a threat but a commitment by law enforcers to drug-related criminals, he went on.

It was also revealed that the BNN uncovered 46,537 drug-related cases and 27 cases of money laundering in 2017.

The BNN also confiscated 4.71 tons of crystal methamphetamine, 151.22 tons of marijuana, and 2.90 million, equal to 627.84 kilograms, of ecstasy pills in 2017.

During its anti-drug operations, the BNN said, it also had confiscated vehicles, property, jewelry, cash, and money in bank accounts amounting to Rp 105 billion (US$7.35 million).

The BNN explained that confiscated assets from drug-related cases would be used for law-enforcement efforts. (ami/ebf)